Busted In Acadiana

Police officers searching for Baker City Court defendants in an arrest warrant roundup found a marijuana-growing operation Thursday in the home of one of their targets, Police Chief Mike Knaps said.

Police looking for people who did not answer traffic or other misdemeanor charges in City Court began their roundup at 6 a.m., after Knaps and City Judge Kirk Williams announced an amnesty program for the month of February.

Knaps said police went to the home of Clinton Pullen III, 34, at 2641 Ray Weiland Drive and detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana when Pullen answered the door.

Pullen was a fugitive from the City Court for failing to appear on a speeding charge, Knaps said.

Questioned about the odor, Pullen admitted he had been smoking marijuana and said he had other marijuana, including plants, inside the home, Knaps said.

Police recovered five marijuana plants growing in pots in a back room of the house, along with a small, foil-lined plywood box with four small cups containing marijuana plants.

Pullen’s operation included specialized lighting, temperature controls and chemically treated water, the police chief said.

Officers booked Pullen at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison with cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.